As a parent, one of the most challenging moments you may face is handing over the car keys to your teenage driver. Truth is, there is reason for concern; Teenagers as a demographic (ages 16-19) are more apt to find themselves in a car accident. Two major causes for these incidents are distractive and aggressive driving.

Even as adults we are guilty of driving while distracted by our radio, cell phone, or attempting to re-model our appearance using the rear-view mirror. This forces us to take our eyes off the road, and lose mental-awareness of our surroundings. Some find themselves in a rush ignoring posted speed limits, or acting in fits of road rage.

Many teenagers are drilled with the notion that driving under the influence is reckless, and illegal. This fact has been relayed down to teenagers from generation to generation. But some parents may overlook the growing trend with teenage-related accidents that are caused by texting, talking or playing on their mobile phone while driving.

Here are a couple mobile applications that may help improve driver safety by making the driver or parent aware of driver safety issues:

Drive Safe Mode is a mobile application for iPhone or Android that utilizes a smartphones GPS motion prediction to respond to users who are trying to drive while texting, talking or attempting to email. The application promptly reacts, freezing the phone’s screen to discourage distractive driving. The application is a product of Text Safe Teens, LLC, which was created by a concerned parent not just for his family’s safety, but also because of his own habit of driving while distracted.

TicketDefender is an application intended to protect drivers from speeding-ticket errors in court, can hold you or your teen accountable for aggressive driving. TicketDefender allows you to print records to see where your teenager was, and how fast they were going. The application also permits parents who believe their child to be aggressive drivers to track exactly how fast they drive while behind the wheel and out of sight. You can also utilize the application to keep your own driving in check. It may be interesting to see how often you break the speed limit on your morning commute!

One could consider these applications an opportunity to resolve and further educate a teenager on how to practice safe driving. Utilizing apps like these can combat distractive and aggressive driving issues not just for a “know-it-all” teenager, but also for our “know-it-all” selves.